Pool maintenance checklist
Updated August 2026
Keeping a pool clear takes a water test two to three times a week, weekly skimming and brushing, and a filter cleaning about once a month. Hold chlorine at 1 to 3 ppm and pH between 7.2 and 7.6, shock after storms or a crowd, and the water stays swimmable while the liner and pump reach their full lives of 6 to 12 and 8 to 12 years. Fall behind and a green algae bloom can take over in 48 hours.
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Test and adjust chlorine and pH | 2–3x weekly | 10 min · DIY |
| Empty the skimmer and pump baskets | Weekly | 5 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Skim the surface, brush the walls, and vacuum | Weekly | 20–40 min · DIY |
| Shock after heavy use, a storm, or a party | As needed | 15 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Clean or backwash the filter | Monthly | 20–30 min · DIY |
| Check alkalinity and cyanuric acid | Monthly | 10 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Open the pool or close and winterize it | Seasonal | $150–400 pro |
What neglect costs
Miss a few tests in July and the water can bloom green practically overnight; turning a swampy pool back to blue burns $150–500 in shock and clarifier plus a week of round-the-clock filtering. Left unbalanced, the water quietly attacks the shell too: acidic water etches plaster and corrodes metal, while hard, high-pH water scales the heater and tile. A worn liner or plaster surface is the expensive end, with a new vinyl liner running $1,500–4,500 and a replaster $4,000–10,000. The cost math favors the test kit every time.
Leave these to a pro
Homeowners handle the day-to-day, but a few things are worth hiring out. Spring opening and fall closing run $150–400 each and get the plumbing blown out correctly so nothing freezes and cracks. A stubborn leak that drops the water more than the quarter-inch a day evaporation explains needs pressure-based leak detection, often $300 or more. Heater, pump-motor, and automation repairs also belong with a pro, as does the first green-to-clean rescue if a bloom gets ahead of you.
This whole checklist ships as reminders in OnOtto: every task above, on the right schedule for your home, snooze-proof.
Load this checklist as remindersFrequently asked questions
How many hours a day should I run the pool pump?
Long enough to turn the water over once, which is usually 8 to 12 hours a day in swim season. The pump has to cycle the whole pool volume through the filter to keep chlorine spread evenly and debris moving to the skimmer. A single-speed pump run 8 hours often does it; a variable-speed pump can run longer at a low, quiet, cheap setting and still cost less to operate. Cut runtime too far and dead spots let algae start.
What are the ideal chemical levels for a pool?
Aim for free chlorine at 1 to 3 ppm, pH between 7.2 and 7.6, total alkalinity of 80 to 120 ppm, and cyanuric acid (the stabilizer that keeps sun from burning off chlorine) at 30 to 50 ppm. Calcium hardness should sit around 200 to 400 ppm. Test alkalinity and pH first, since they steer how the chlorine behaves, then adjust chlorine last. A basic test kit or strips let you check the big three in under two minutes.
My pool turned green. How do I fix it fast?
Green means algae, and speed matters. Balance the pH to about 7.2, then shock hard with roughly triple the normal chlorine dose, brush every wall and the floor to knock algae loose, and run the filter continuously for 24 to 48 hours, backwashing as pressure climbs. A mild bloom clears in a day or two; a deep swamp can take most of a week and several doses. Add algaecide once the chlorine drops back into range to keep it from returning.
Do I have to close my pool for winter?
In any climate that sees a hard freeze, yes. Water left in the plumbing, pump, and filter can freeze, expand, and crack the equipment, and those repairs dwarf a closing kit. Closing means balancing the water, lowering the level below the returns, blowing out and plugging the lines, adding winterizing chemicals, and covering the pool. In frost-free regions you skip the shutdown and simply run a lighter winter schedule, testing weekly instead of every few days.